26 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



CHAPTER IV 



BIRDS OF PREY : EAGLES, KITES, THE SECRETARY 



BIRD 



THE birds of prey, of which Africa contains its full 

 share, are divided into two orders, the first containing 

 the eagles and hawks, the vultures, the osprey, and the 

 secretary bird, while the second comprises the owls. 



It is a great mistake to regard all birds of prey as 

 hostile to man, and therefore to destroy them whenever 

 and wherever found. Besides the vultures, which are 

 recognized as useful scavengers, and are therefore pro- 

 tected in South Africa, many other kinds deserve to 

 be spared, not only on account of their scavenging 

 habits, but for the immense amount of destruction 

 they wreak among snakes, rats, and other noxious 

 creatures. 



Some years ago a writer in one of the agricultural 

 journals advocated that all eagles and hawks should 

 be shot at sight, and suggested that a good opportunity 

 offered when they were seen indulging their rather 

 favourite habit of perching on telegraph wires. Putting 

 aside the probable injury to the wire, I cannot conceive 

 any more ill-advised suggestion than to recommend the 

 general public, which cannot be expected to distinguish 

 the few harmful from the many useful species, to act 

 in this way. A saner advice would be to recommend 

 the killing of members of the predatory species of birds 

 only when found hanging round chicken runs, and gene- 

 rally near human habitations where they seem bent on 

 mischief, for, though there are ill-conditioned individuals 

 which have acquired bad habits in every species, that 

 is no reason why the great majority,Twho are doing useful 



